Inside Health

Bristol-Myers to Build Massachusetts Plant

Published: June 2, 2006

Bristol-Myers Squibb announced on Thursday that it would build a $1.1 billion manufacturing plant at Devens, Mass., that will create about 550 jobs.

The factory will occupy 750,000 square feet on about 80 acres. Devens is about 35 miles northwest of Boston.

The announcement came after Procter & Gamble said last month that it planned to close one of two former Gillette plants in Devens by year's end and eliminate at least 100 jobs. Work on packaging for razors and hygiene products made at Devens will be transferred to a Procter plant in Greensboro, N.C.

The Devens plants are on the site of the Army's former Fort Devens on land in the towns of Ayer, Harvard and Shirley, Mass.

A spokeswoman for Senator Edward M. Kennedy said the company told the senator and Gov. Mitt Romney about the plans on Thursday afternoon.

The two have been pushing for the plant, a spokeswoman for Mr. Kennedy, Melissa Wagoner, said.